News & Events

HKU School of Public Health and the US National Academy of Medicine Launch the NAM-HKU Fellowship in Global Health Leadership

01 Dec 2018

The School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is partnering with the US National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to offer the NAM-HKU Fellowship in Global Health Leadership. An official announcement ceremony was held today (December 1, 2018) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In alignment with the School’s and NAM’s strategic emphasis on developing the next generation of health leaders in Asia and worldwide, this fellowship aims to provide outstanding early- to mid-career scholars with the opportunity to obtain further training, education, experience and mentoring in the field of global health. The fellowship will commence in 2019 and run for three years initially, with one fellow to be selected each year. The fellows will visit Washington, DC for three months each year for two consecutive years during which s/he will actively learn about the work of NAM; undergo academic attachment at HKU School of Public Health; and receive a scholarship to pursue a Master of Public Health degree at HKU.

Nearly 100 candidates from 31 places of origin across six continents applied for the inaugural class of this fellowship programme. The 2019/2020 recipient will be announced in early 2019.

The School took the occasion of the Faculty’s 200th Congregation to make the official announcement of the fellowship at a formal ceremony, which was hosted by Professor Gabriel Leung, HKU Dean of Medicine, and officiated by Professor Victor Dzau, President of the US National Academy of Medicine, and Dr Patrick Poon, Benefactor of the NAM-HKU Fellowship, HKU Council Member and Convocation Chairman. Professor Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health, and Dr Constance Chan, Director of Health, also graced the ceremony with their presence.

“HKU School of Public Health has been collaborating with the US National Academy of Medicine for years and I am delighted to see the establishment of this new fellowship programme, which aims to train world class global health leaders for the 21st century and beyond,” said Professor Leung in his welcoming remarks. “I hope that this fellowship can contribute to building a network of global health policy scholars who can work together to identify pathways to solutions to some of the most critical health challenges facing the world today and in the future,” Professor Leung continued. “We also take this occasion to convey our deepest gratitude to Dr Patrick Poon, without whom this fellowship would not have been made possible.”

“We are excited about this partnership with The University of Hong Kong, thanks to the generous donation from Dr Patrick Poon, to help build global expertise and support a pipeline of future global health leaders who will strengthen international efforts to improve health outcomes, as well as address health threats that affect us all as global citizens,” said Professor Victor Dzau. “Most importantly, we hope to achieve a stronger understanding of the common health care challenges we all face, and help forge a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world.”

“It gives me great pleasure to be giving back to my alma mater, HKU, and to see that it is partnering with premier organization like the US National Academy of Medicine in grooming future leaders for today’s rapidly evolving and highly complex environment,” said Dr Patrick Poon. “It is particularly gratifying to see that this new fellowship has attracted the interest of international and local candidates from 31 places of origin across six continents, which bears testament to the global footprint of HKU,” Dr Poon continued. “I am confident that the selected Fellows will become important pillars in shaping and influencing global health policy and leadership for many generations to come.”

About the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU (HKUMed)

The School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong has a long and distinguished history in public health education and high impact research. With world-leading research in infectious diseases, as well as on non-communicable diseases of both local and global importance, the School has made significant contributions through its research and advocacy to improve the health of populations and individuals, both locally and globally.

The School is a leading research and teaching hub in public health on influenza and other emerging viruses, control of infectious and non-communicable diseases, tobacco control, air pollution, psycho-oncology, behavioral sciences, exercise science, life-course epidemiology, and health economics, health services planning and management. This work has informed international (e.g. the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), national and local public health policies.

About the US National Academy of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Announcement Ceremony of the NAM-HKU Fellowship in Global Health Leadership was held today (December 1, 2018) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The ceremony was graced by (from left to right) Professor Keiji Fukuda, Director of HKU School of Public Health; Professor Victor Dzau, President of the US National Academy of Medicine; Mrs Wendy Poon; Professor Rosie Young, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Chairman of HKU Foundation; Professor Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health; Dr Constance Chan, Director of Health; Dr Patrick Poon, Benefactor of the NAM-HKU Fellowship & HKU Council Member and Convocation Chairman; and Professor Gabriel Leung, HKU Dean of Medicine.

(From left to right) Professor Keiji Fukuda, Professor Victor Dzau, Professor Rosie Young, Dr Patrick Poon and Professor Gabriel Leung joined the cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the establishment of the new fellowship programme.